Residential Care of Children

Comparative Perspectives

Edited by Mark E. Courtney and Dorota Iwaniec

features chapters by distinguished contributors from a wide range of countries, from Ireland to Romania to Botswana

brings insights about other countries' approaches to the tricky matter of residential care, helping US social workers and policymakers see how things are done elsewhere

provides a wealth of readable historical information along with solid facts about each country's child welfare system

addresses current international debate about the use of residential care and shows the debate to be too simplistic

Residential Care of Children

Comparative Perspectives

Edited by Mark E. Courtney and Dorota Iwaniec

Description

Residential Care of Children fills major gaps in knowledge about residential care of children, and is sure to inform ongoing debates within and between nations about the appropriate use of such institutions. Each "case study" chapter provides a rich description of the development, current status, and future of residential care in countries from Brazil to Botswana. Chapters describe how residential care is defined in the country in question, how it has evolved over time, including its history, trends over time, and any "landmark" events in the history of residential care. Authors examine factors (historical, political, economic, ideological, and cultural) that have contributed to the observed pattern of development of residential care and provide a description of the current state of residential care (number of children in care, ages, average length of stay, reasons that children/youth are placed in residential care, etc.). Lastly, each case study describes expected future directions for residential care and potential concerns. Two integrative chapters provide a critical cross-national perspective, identifying common themes, analyzing underlying factors, and speculating about the future of residential child care across the globe. This insight-filled book will be required reading for all child welfare scholars, particularly as international perspectives become increasingly emphasized.